Future build to order residence unease over columbarium.
Recent media reports have suggested that a Chinese temple, which will also house a columbarium, being built in Sengkang West has caused concern to future residents of the Fernvale Lea residential project located just next to it. There are fears rising that there could be a drop in property values because of the structure for The Vales.
The Vales EC Sales
Rite Jailani, a property executive, has said that this location is not that popular as it is due to it not being near any coffee shops or the LRT line. He fears that once people know the site is near a columbarium there will be a drop in the value of his flat.
It was in July that Life Corporation, a funeral service firm based in Australia, was given the go ahead by HDB to build the Chinese temple and columbarium at the Fernvale Link site. This might affect the sales of The Vales.
Life Corp’s CEO, Simon Hoo, has shared that they are still working on the design with an architect to create the right look and feel. They are planning to have the building completed at some point in 2016.
The Vales Fernvale Sengkang
Future residents of Fernvale Lea are set to move into their new flats in 2015 and many have complained that they were not informed about this proposed columbarium at any point. In response to this, Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Housing and Development Board have stated that both the site plan and a town map that have been issued had notes that indicated places of worship could possibly include the addition of a columbarium.
The Vales
Nonetheless, guidelines are in place that state the columbarium needs to be out of view of any surrounding housing developments and its allotted space cannot go over a total gross floor space of 20% of the temple.
Many are of the belief that facilities, such as the columbarium, should be placed far from housing estates like The Vales, regardless of the fact that residential districts, such as Yishun Ring Orchard Condo Road’s Yishun Columbarium has been built close to housing estates.
Loh Hon Chu, an IT Project Manager, has said that to his understanding a columbarium is usually placed in a forested area somewhere, such as Mount Vernon, but never close to a site that has such a high density or residents.